The first ep collider run and future plans

After successful machine commissioning in 1991, the new electron-proton collider HERA was ready to start the experimental program in spring last year. Data taking at the ZEUS and H1 experiments began on June 26. The energy of the colliding beams was Ee=26.7 GeV and Ep = 820 GeV, in accord with the design. The peak luminosity obtained so far was 2.2x1029 cm-2 s-1. Until the end of the experimental run in November 1992 an integrated luminosity of 33 nb-1 was delivered to the experiments. Future plans concerning ep operation focus on increasing the number of colliding bunches in order to approach the design goal for the luminosity of 1.5x1031 cm-2 s-1. In the electron ring, up to 60% transverse spin polarization have been achieved. It is planned to install a polarized gas target experiment (Hermes, approved as the 3rd HERA experiment) which will require an electron beam with about 50% longitudinal polarization. The machine modifications required for HERMES are scheduled for the 93/94 winter shut down. Furthermore, the possibilities of installing a fixed target experiment for b-quark physics in the proton ring are being studied